


lavender daylight

by comefeedtherainn



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Fix It, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, POV Alternating, mike hanlon didnt deserve to be alone all that time and frankly i refuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 11:21:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30121980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comefeedtherainn/pseuds/comefeedtherainn
Summary: Some of us are, perhaps, destined for loneliness. We look up and, time and again, find ourselves alone for company. Sometimes we are joined by a warm drink, or a good book, or a soft blanket. Sometimes we are joined by cold, dark, sharp things, as well.And sometimes, we are joined by other lonely people. And, for as long as we can tolerate, a pleasant noise fills our space to remind us that we are not the only thing that lives, breathes, cries, bleeds, dies. Even if, sometimes, it feels exactly so.(In another universe, timeline, world - Adrian Mellon and Don Hagarty befriend Mike Hanlon.)
Relationships: Adrian Mellon & Mike Hanlon, Don Hagarty & Mike Hanlon, Don Hagarty/Adrian Mellon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	lavender daylight

There is a spiderweb outside of the apartment window, nestled in the corner up and to the left outside the kitchen. It is the most perfect one Adrian Mellon has ever seen, or at least the most perfect that he can remember. Typically the ones you might come across out in the world are misshapen, unfinished or full of holes pelted into it by rain. This one, though, it's patterns are perfect and precise. It has a nice corner to hang from, and it's artist had plenty of protection from the elements to do it's best work. The silk glistens, still, with the dew from the morning. Adrian sips his third cup of coffee as he admires it, tilting his head to the side to watch the sun playing off the droplets.

"What's - oh, ew. Let me get the duster."

The bubble of his own thoughts is popped, and Adrian pouts over his shoulder.

"Don, no," he protests. He takes his partner's hand, pulling him to a stop before he can take more than a step. "I don't wanna get rid of it."

"It's gross," Don argues, though he smiles as Adrian pulls him closer, wrapping his free arm around his waist. 

"It's pretty," Adrian counters, setting aside his mug only to wind that arm around Don's middle, as well. "I like it."

"You like ugly things." Adrian's jaw drops in mock offense, and Don laughs, throwing his head back with it. "That is a direct quote, don't give me that face!"

"Rude," Adrian admonishes playfully, sticking his nose in the air. "I like things that some people might call ugly, but I don't think they are."

"Hm. I'll give you that." Don pecks his forehead as he steps away. He heads for the coffee maker, rather than the hall closet where they keep the duster. Adrian smiles to himself. "You let that thing stick around and it'll come inside eventually, you know. And then you'll make me kill it."

"Will not. I'll make you take it back outside."

"Right."

The splash of Don's coffee in his mug, and the creamer after that, the tinkle of a spoon stirring against ceramic. Adrian has always appreciated the quiet and the slow parts of life. Even moreso, after falling in love with Don. If he could take hold of the world and pull it all to a crawl with his bare hands, if only to have some extra hours with this perfect, wonderful man, he'd do it. As it is, he has to make do with forcing Don to stay in bed for five more minutes, to have one more cup of coffee with him before work, to leave his phone in the bedroom until after they've had breakfast. 

Speaking of which - the ping of an alert interrupts the quiet, and Don pulls his newly-retrieved phone from his pocket and peers at the screen over the lip of his mug. He hums around the mouthful of coffee, turning the screen toward Adrian even though it's too far away and tiny for him to really see it.

"Another listing," he says after swallowing, and Adrian smiles to hide the pit in his stomach at that. "This one's in Rogers Park."

"Mm, that area is cute. That's where we saw the one with the weird living room, right?"

"Right, yeah."

Adrian leans across the kitchen, taking the phone Don offers and scrolling slowly through the listening pulled up from his email. It is a lovely place, with a wooden balcony out back, two bedrooms, wood floors and a brick wall in the kitchen. 

Chicago will be quite a change of pace, but...well.

Adrian hands the phone back, putting on a smile again.

Derry isn't working, anymore.

"You wanna ask about it?" Don asks, sticking the device into his back pocket again - Adrian's not sure how many times he needs to sit on it and almost crack the screen before he stops doing that - and taking a sip of freshly poured coffee. He winces a bit as it scalds his mouth, but takes a second drink straight after, anyway. Adrian loves him so much it hurts.

So, he shrugs in response, picking at a spot on the window sill where the wood has begun to chip. "Sure."

Don is quiet for a moment. "Adrian."

Adrian sweeps the new broken pieces he has created onto the floor. "Hm?"

A large hand takes his, stopping him from worrying away at the spot even more, and he looks up to meet Don's eyes. He smiles, an automatic response. 

"I know you like it here," Don says softly. "But it's just...there's no place for us in Derry. It's not a forever place for people like us."

"I understand that," Adrian says. "Or, I understand that you think that."

Don sighs heavily through his nose, withdrawing his hand as he rests his lower back against the conter. "It's not what I think. You didn't grow up here."

"I know."

"It's never felt right," Don says for what must be the millionth time, grimacing into his next sip of coffee. "It's....fucked up. Evil. I don't know. I just always had this sick feeling, even when I was a kid. Like the town....hated the people who live here. Hated-" He doesn't finish, grunting quietly in the back of his throat, instead.

Adrian watches him, runs his eyes over the hunch of his shoulders that are now up near his ears, the way the corners of his mouth pull down and his knuckles go white where they curl around the handle of his mug. It makes him sad, to see a sweet man so angry. 

"There's homophobes in Chicago, Don. There's homophobes everywhere."

"Yeah, well. Better than this shitty town in the middle of fucking nowhere," Don says bitterly. "And maybe there I won't have to worry about getting dragged to the back of the hardware store and beat to shit for holding your hand on the sidewalk. So."

The silence is thick like molasses, after that, and Adrian cuts through it before they can drown. Setting his mug in the sink, he wraps his arms around Don's neck, ducking into his line of sight. He makes a scrunched up face until he smiles and then kisses him, playing with the fuzz of hair at the nape of his neck.

"Hey," he says softly, waiting until Don meets his eyes. "I love you. Okay?"

Don nods, kissing him again and pulling him close. His shoulders are loose, again. "Love you, too."

Adrian laughs quietly as Don moves from his mouth only to kiss along his jaw and down the side of his neck to his shoulder. He squirms as it tickles pleasantly, trapped in Don's arms.

"Quit that, I have errands."

Don whines, holding onto him tighter. "Tomorrow."

"No, I have to return these books to the library _today_ , or I'll get a late-ah!" Adrian laughs, yelping as Don hauls him up. Instinctively, he wraps his legs around Don's waist. "Hey!"

"Hi," Don grins, nipping his chin playfully. "Fancy meeting you here."

"You're insufferable," Adrian accuses, squawking as Don starts to carry him to bedroom and he has to duck to miss the door frame. "You almost decapitated me!"

"Sorry," is all he gets as a snickered response. 

He is unceremoniously deposited on the bed, still unmade from their lazy morning that Adrian had insisted on. He does his best to look indignant, but can't manage it for long when Don crawls on after him, slipping in between his legs and kissing him so sweetly he thinks he might break apart. _No one has ever loved a person the way we love each other_ , Adrian thinks as he parts his lips, sighs as he tastes Don on his tongue. 

_There's never been anyone else so full to bursting._

* * *

The satchel of books starts cutting into Adrian's shoulder only a few minutes into his walk, and he grimaces as he realizes he's got about ten more left until he reaches the library. He hikes the strap up a little farther, cursing his past self for not picking research material that wasn't quite so hefty. Not the worst walk, though, despite the weight.

It's a nice day, cooling off from the heat of summer behind them but not quite into the crispness of fall. It smells of cut grass and flowers and open air, the sun is warm on his skin and the wind gentle in his hair. The sidewalk is empty and quiet save for him, something he'll miss when he's back in the city. No one dodging around you balancing six coffees in their hands, no honking cars, no confusing street signs (or lack thereof). No buildings towering so high and so close you feel as if they're closing in, holding you in and down until you can't breathe.

Don doesn't see the beauty of what they have. He's too hurt. A wounded animal, growling and biting at anything and everything because now, it's all a threat. Even an outstretched hand.

Adrian readjusts the bag on his shoulder, wincing as the indents in his skin sting.

The Derry Public Library is typically empty, especially at this time of day, which is exactly how Adrian likes it. After dropping off his books in the return slot he slips between the old shelves to replace them, delicately touching spines with shining, bumpy letters or pulling out aged volumes if only to admire them. That's the loveliest part about Derry's library - so many things are old, full of history and beautiful things. If Adrian could take them home forever he would, but he's content with only borrowing. 

His eye is caught by a worn spine, brown with yellow letters and dated pages. He pulls it out to flip through, the scent of old ink and paper wafting in the breeze he creates. It sort of makes him want to sneeze, but he resists the urge. Doesn't want to disturb the quiet. 

He is distracted from his thoughts by a nudge on his foot. He looks down, and nearly drops the book in his hands when he sees a small turtle, a deep forest green with a shell of intricate design. It stares back at him, almost expectantly, and continues to slowly run into his foot. Adrian swears softly, looking around for someone with a badge or something, but there is no one around. He replaces the old book in his hands, dusting them off before carefully plucking the reptile off of the floor by his middle.

Normally he would let the poor thing outside himself, but he's not sure if it's an escaped pet - sometimes the library houses reptiles and other small animals for the school or for nature days. Holding the turtle carefully, Adrian peers down the rows, searching for nearly a minute before he comes across someone with a LIBRARIAN badge. He's a tall guy in an earth-toned sweater that seems a size or two too large. His glasses rest on top of his head, a delicate chain hanging from the ear pieces and down around his neck. Beside him is a cart of books marked RETURN, and he handles each of them delicately as he places them in the empty spaces on the shelves, with hands covered in old scars and callouses. 

When Adrian approaches the man startles, blinking rapdily and actually taking a step back. Adrian puts up both hands, along with the turtle with it's legs wiggling away, in apology. 

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he says quickly. "I just - I found this little guy, and wondered if he belongs here?"

The man - Mike, his nametag reads, right, right, Mike - frowns at it, his lips parted silently.

"Where did you get that?" he asks. 

"He was just walking around," Adrian says, handing the turtle over when Mike extends a hand. "Figured maybe he escaped?"

Mike gives the turtle a long, curious look, before brushing past Adrian and to the glass door leading to the courtyard. He opens it a crack, the sound of chirping birds and wind whistling through the trees greeting them, and puts the turtle down on the sunny sidewalk. He watches for a moment as it waddles away, his expression unreadable.

"No," he says eventually. "I think he was just lost."

Adrian watches, too, smiling as the turtle stumbles off the sidewalk and into the grass. He turns, holding out his hand. "Adrian Mellon."

"Mike Hanlon," he replies, shaking it firmly. "Nice to meet you."

"You, too. I don't see you around, much."

"I'm not out much," Mike says, smiling a couple seconds too late like he had to remind himself to do it. He moves past Adrian to get back to the shelves, but doesn't seem to mind when Adrian just follows close behind. "I believe I've seen you a few times," he continues as they go. "You live with Don Hagarty, right?"

"Right," Adrian nods. He wants to immediately add that Don is his partner, but he holds his tongue, eying Mike and trying to decide. Mike meets his eyes and smiles, kind and soft and knowing, and Adrian relaxes. "Right. Yes. Yeah."

"He's a good kid," Mike says casually. "A bit surly, but then again, who in Derry isn't?"

Adrian shrugs, taking a book from the stack on Mike's cart and flipping through it slowly. "I like it here."

"Do you?"

"Yeah, it's nice. Little and quiet."

"It is that."

Adrian replaces the book and picks up another. For his part, Mike doesn't complain.

"Did you grow up here, too?"

"I did," Mike nods, eyes on his work. "Lived here all my life."

"What's it been like?"

Mike glances at him, lifting an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Adrian feels his cheeks go hot. "Sorry. I uh, don't have friends here. I talk too much when someone finally lets me."

"Hm." The corner of Mike's mouth quirks a bit, and he turns back to his cart of books. "I've known some people like that." Adrian follows behind, still, as Mike moves down the aisle, the old cart squeaking all the way. "I don't have friends here, either. Don't speak to people often."

"You seem nice," Adrian offers. "You shouldn't be alone."

Mike frowns, looking at him shrewdly from the corner of his eye again. As if he's trying to see something that Adrian is hiding behind his back, or read something on his face that isn't there.

"I...alright."

 _Guy really doesn't talk to people much_ , Adrian muses. It makes him a little sad.

"Well, listen," he says, dusting off his hands. "I have to get going, but maybe I'll see you later? Is there somewhere here I can bring my computer to work? It's quieter than the coffee shop."

"There's a lounge," Mike nods, pointing vaguely over Adrian's shoulder and still giving him that strange look. "I, uh. Just replaced the outlets recently, so they'll work fine."

"Cool," Adrian chirps. "It was nice to meet you, Mike. See you around?"

"Yeah. See you, Adrian."


End file.
